In IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 26 No. 1, June 1983, page 67-68, a cartridge is described that is attached to a carrier and that is tiltable around an axis parallel to the print line. A reversible drive is shown which in one direction is coupled with the ribbon take-up spool to feed ribbon from the supply spool to the take-up spool, and which if driven in the other direction is used to lift the cartridge to achieve print line visibility by tilting the cartridge about its pivot axis for an appropriate angle. In this known arrangement the cartridge is not coupled directly to the drive means but is installed on a plate that is tiltable around an axis and that connectes to the drive for ribbon drive, ribbon lift oscillation and print line visibility. The specific interconnection coupling between the ribbon drive incorporated into the cartridge and the reversible ribbon feed device ending on said cartridge plate is now shown.
There are different shapes and forms of couplings, male and female parts, that cooperate with each other yet are still easily detachable.
One form is, for example, shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,091,913 and 4,307,969, both depicting a ribbon cartridge with a crosshole opening on the driven ribbon spool side and a mating blade-like part as extension of the driving axle, sometimes called drive key, on the side of the ribbon feed device. Another form is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,667 depicting a ribbon cartridge drive with a tooth wheel or gear on the driving side and an adapted mating opening on the hub of the driven ribbon spool. Those known coupling designs normally provide no simple and immediate fitting and no automatic self-centering or self-coupling interconnection. In most cases in a separate action the operator has rotationally to adjust the parts such that driving and driven parts slide into each other for foming the completed coupling.